CONTEMPORARY WESTERN CIVILIZATION I (Fall 2004)
C1101x – Section 024 ♦ 206 Broadway Residence Hall ♦ TR 9-10.50
Andrea Borghini • e-mail: ab2058@columbia.edu • url: http://www.columbia.edu/~ab2058
Structure and Course Requirements:
The course is structured as a seminar, with new readings assigned for each class. Discussion is
important to this course, and you can expect to be called upon to give your views (if you don't
volunteer them). Typically, the discussion will be centered on the readings as well as on your
postings on Courseworks, and it will be divided by a short break into two parts of fifty minutes
each.
Readings and Participation: CC is a discussion seminar, not a lecture. Accordingly, your active
participation is essential to the success of the class. You will be expected to complete the
assigned readings before the class for which they are assigned, to bring the texts under
discussion with you to class, and to come to class prepared to discuss them.
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. According to a course-wide policy, students who
accumulate more than four unexcused absences may be dropped from the course. More than
three unexcused absences will result in your final grade falling by one third of a grade (e.g. A
to A-). If you miss class, please e-mail me in advance (ab2058@columbia.edu). The only
grounds on which absence will be excused are religious holidays, family crises, or illness;
absence for the last two reasons must be explained by a note from a Dean or a doctor.
Courseworks: You are required to post at least one question/comment (300-500 words) no later
than 2am of the day of class. So, for example, for a class on Thursday at 9am you should post
an answer/comment by Thursday at 2am, i.e. Wednesday night. You can skip three answers
during the semester. Missing more than three will result in a substantial grade reduction.
In class examinations: Midterm (on 10.28.2004) and Final (on 12.17.2004, from 12.30 to 3.30)
Written Assignments: Two papers, 1200 to 2000 words each. The first paper is due in class on
Thursday, October 14; the second paper is due in class on Thursday, December 2. Papers
should be typed in Times New Roman, size 12 font, double-spaced, and all the page margins
should measure one inch. Paper topics will be distributed one week-ten days in advance.
Required Texts:
Required texts include the standard CC package plus the two following works:
Epictetus, Encheiridion available online at http://www.nyu.edu/classes/calhoun/conwestfall2001/epic.html#body
Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations (Penguin) available at Labyrinth Bookstore
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As for the CC package, part of it is available at the Columbia Bookstore, and part can be accessed
online from the CC home page, http://www.college.columbia.edu/core (top right corner). Texts
available at the Columbia Bookstore are:
Plato, Republic (Hackett)
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Oxford)
Aristotle, Politics (Hackett)
Bible: Revised Standard Version (Meridian)
Cicero, On Duties (Cambridge)
Augustine, City of God (Penguin)
Al-Qur’an (Amana)
Machiavelli, Selected Political Writings (Hackett)
Hillerbrand, ed., The Protestant Reformation (Harper & Row)
Descartes, Discourse On Method and Meditations On First Philosophy (Hackett)
Hobbes, Leviathan (Oxford)
Locke, Political Writings Of John Locke (NAL/Mentor)
Grade Breakdown:
Courseworks/In-class participation: 20%;
Papers: 20% each;
Midterm: 20%;
Final: 20%.
Penalties: In order to pass the class you are required to do all the coursework (e.g. completing one
out of two papers will result in failing the class). Late papers incur in a penalty of one third of a
letter grade per day (e.g. from A to A-). As for Courseworks, for each unexcused missing
answer beyond the third a penalty of one third of a letter grade will be applied to your overall
final grade.
Office Hours:
My office hours are Tuesday from 5 to 6 in 301 Philosophy. I am also on campus at other times,
and you can make an appointment to see me by e-mail (ab2058@columbia.edu). Please don’t
hesitate to get in touch with me about any aspect of the course.
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Schedule:
Week 1
9.7
Introduction
9.9
Plato, Republic: Books I-IV
Week 2
9.14
Plato, Republic: Books V-VII
9.16
Plato, Republic: Books VIII-X
Week 3
9.21
9.23
Week 4
9.28
9.30
Week 5
10.5
Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics: Books I-III and VII-X
Aristotle, Politics: I, 1-9, 12-13; II, 1-5; III, 1-13; IV, 1-5; VII, 1-3; VIII, 1
Epictetus, Encheiridion (entire)
Cicero, De Officiis: I; II, 9-29; III
Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations (entire)
#1 PAPER TOPICS DISTRIBUTED
10.7
Week 6
10.12
10.14
Discussion on a theme
Hebrew Bible: Exodus 1:1-6:13; 7:1-11:10; 13:17-20:18; 31:18-34:35.
Deuteronomy 1:1-45; 4:1-13:18; 15:1-19:21; 21:10-26:19; 27:11-28:68; 30:134:12
New Testament: Matthew (entire), Romans; Galatians; 1 Corinthians 13, 15
DUE #1 PAPER
10.15
Required lecture by Elaine Pagels (Princeton), Lerner Auditorium, 11am-1pm
Week 7
10.19
Augustine, City of God: I; IV, 1-4; V; VIII, 1-12; XII, 1-28
10.21
Augustine, City of God: XIV; XV; XIX; XXII, 6, 24, 29-30
Week 8
10.26
Al-Qu'ran: Suras 114, 112, 75, 56, 17, 16, 12, 4, 3, 2, 1
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10.28
Week 9
11.2
11.4
Week 10
11.9
11.11
Week 11
11.16
11.18
Week 12
11.23
11.25
Week 13
11.30
12.2
Week 14
12.7
MIDTERM
ELECTION DAY, ACADEMIC HOLIDAY
Medieval Thought: Averroes, On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy;
Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (selections); Aquinas, Summa Contra
Gentiles, and Summa Theologiae (selections) [CC web]
Machiavelli:The Prince; selections from The Discourses (Selected Political
Writings, 81-97, 110-32, 150-75, 187-200, 215-217)
The New World: Selections from works about the Spanish Colonization of
the New World. [CC web].
The Reformation: Luther “The Freedom of a Christian Man”, “Commentary
on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians”, Calvin “The Institutes of the Christian
Religion” [all in Hillerbrand]
The Scientific Revolution: Galileo “Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina”
[CC Web]; Newton “Rules of Reasoning in Philosophy” [CC Web]
Descartes, Meditations (entire) #2 PAPER TOPICS DISTRIBUTED
THANKSGIVING BREAK
Discussion on a theme
Hobbes, Leviathan: 1-16
DUE #2 PAPER
Hobbes, Leviathan: 17-21, 29, 30, 32, 33, 46, 47
12.9
Locke, Letter Concerning Toleration
12.17
FINAL (12.30pm to 15.30pm)
Assigned reading over the winter break: Kant, What is Enlightment? (CC Web)